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UIC Visits As Tech Opens Pre-Holiday Hoops Blitz

Dec. 12, 2008

ATLANTA –

Complete Game Notes in PDF Format

Georgia Tech comes out of its fall semester finals by playing four games in nine days leading into the holiday break, beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday when UIC visits Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets then host Georgia State Wednesday before taking a trip to California to play Pepperdine and Southern California.

Tickets for the non-televised game are $20 and can be purchased at the gate beginning 90 minutes before tip. Radio coverage is provided by the Georgia Tech/ISP Network and can be heard in Atlanta on flagship station WQXI-AM (790). The Tech broadcast also can be heard nationally on XM Radio Ch. 192.

Tech (5-1) split two major non-conference home games last week, defeating Vanderbilt, 63-51, after an 85-83 loss to Penn State in a pair of games radically different in their pace and style.

UIC (5-2, 1-0 Horizon League) has lost only to Bradley (on the road) and DePaul (at home) while capturing a big non-conference win at Vanderbilt just before the Commodores came to Atlanta. The Flames have already played on conference game, an 83-69 win over Loyola last Saturday.

Tech head coach Paul Hewitt is in his ninth season with the Yellow Jackets (147-115) and his 12th season as a head coach (213-140). Hewitt ranks 19th all-time in victories among ACC coaches.

Tech is 161-12 against non-conference foes at Alexander Memorial Coliseum since the beginning of the 1981-82 season, including the Dec. 3 loss to Penn State, which is the only non-ACC team to defeat the Jackets twice at home during this stretch. UIC is one of the teams to win at the Thrillerdome, having defeated Tech 73-51 on Nov. 25, 2005.

Series With UIC

The series between Georgia Tech and UIC is tied at a game apiece, and the Yellow Jackets struggled for their win, rallying in the second half for a 60-59 victory at the UIC Pavilion early in the 2004-05 season.

A year later, the Flames came to Atlanta and throttled the Jackets, 73-51, at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, one of only 12 losses Tech has suffered to non-conference foes at the Thrillerdome since the 1981-82 campaign.

UIC is a member of the Horizon League, and the Yellow Jackets are 3-3 all-time against current members of the conference.

Tech Offering 9-Game Ticket Package

Georgia Tech is offering for sale the ISO 9 Men’s Basketball Package that includes the Georgia (Jan. 6) and the eight home Atlantic Coast Conference games (Virginia-Dec. 28, Duke-Jan. 14, Boston College-Jan. 20, Wake Forest-Jan. 31, Maryland-Feb. 8, NC State-Feb. 14, Clemson-Feb. 22 and Miami-Mar. 4).

The cost is $270 for the ticket, plus a corresponding TECH Fund contribution where applicable.

ORDER HERE

Quick Look at Tech

Head coach Paul Hewitt’s regular starting lineup in the early going includes sophomore Moe Miller and freshman Iman Shumpert at guard, with junior Zachery Peacock, senior Alade Aminu and sophomore Gani Lawal along the front line.

The only exception occurred when Lance Storrs replaced Miller in the lineup for the Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jacksonville games after Miller sustained a mild concussion Nov. 22 at Mercer.

With senior D’Andre Bell (spinal stenosis) out for the season and senior Lewis Clinch (academically ineligible) out for the semester, Peacock is being asked to utilize his outside shooting and defensive abilities at the small forward spot. Clinch’s academic status may not be known until Monday after semester grades are posted.

Tech still has some depth in the backcourt with Storrs and walk-on freshman Nick Foreman coming off the bench. Both are big and strong physically and have combined to play nearly 36 minutes a game.

In the frontcourt, Tech has good numbers with red-shirt sophomore Brad Sheehan and senior Bassirou Dieng, a transfer from St. Francis, Pa., who is enrolled in graduate school. Sheehan has added weight and strength and is averaging more than 13 minutes a game off the bench.

Notable

> Three of Tech’s six games have been decided by six points or fewer, one of them in overtime.

> In the last week, Tech has lost a game in which it scored 83 points, and won a game in which it scored 63.

> Tech has the top two players in the ACC in field goal percentage (Alade Aminu and Gani Lawal), who have combined to shoot 61 percent from the floor. The rest of the Jackets are hitting 38.1 percent collectively.

> Tech is sixth in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (38.3 pct.). The Jackets were last in 2007-08 (45.2 pct.). Tech has llimited three of six opponents to 30.5 percent shooting overall, and three foes to less than 30 percent from three-point range.

> Tech players have achieved double-doubles nine times through six games (seven in points and rebounds, two in points and assists). The Yellow Jackets produced only six double-doubles in 32 games last year.

> Tech has had at least one player post a double-double in every game this year, including three against Penn State.

> Tech had at least four players score in double figures in the first four games (three against Penn State). Four players average in double-figure points through five games.

> Tech has attempted just under 11 three-point field goals per game. Its opponents have tried an average of 22 per game.

> Tech has a plus-3.7 turnover margin, third best in the ACC, and has forced an average of 18.2, which is fourth in the conference.

> Both of Tech’s starting guards have assist-turnover ratios of 2.0-1 or better and ranks in the ACC’s top three in assist average.

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